I'm So Glad I Resumed Doing This.

Hello friends,

I wanted to share with you something that I recently got back into and that I’m so glad I did: journaling.

Back when I was first starting my self-improvement journey, one tip that I constantly saw was to keep a journal. By doing so, it’s supposed to help you organize your thoughts and clear your mind. Soon after, I bought my first hardcover journal and got to work. I opted for a dotted journal since lots of the blogs and videos I was following suggested them because they were more dynamic in how you could write in them.

For context, before I began journaling, my days would mush together into a haze with no metrics of tracking my goals. It was disheartening, honestly, to see the time fly by and me having nothing to show for it.

I’ll definitely say that journaling helped immediately. One of the first things I did was to create a snapshot of the upcoming month with a row for each day and a column for the most important things for me to accomplish. It looked like this:

I continued this habit tracker for a few months but gradually fell off. I think the reason for this was because tracking my habits day by day was great at first in helping me structure my life and keeping me accountable, but eventually it seemed to become a chore (virtually obligatory) to record my results, and I’m not one to continue doing something if it no longer serves its purpose for me.

At the same time I tracking my daily habits, I used my journal for more common purposes: writing an overall summary of my month, brainstorming ideas for content, drafting rough drawings that I would later turn into graphics for articles, and purging some general thoughts.

A couple of weeks ago, I got back to the journal with a clean slate. No expectations, no plans for a particular format, just an intention to write down whatever I need, want, and feel.

Honestly, it’s been great.

It feels a lot like when you play a video game that you used to love, or re-watching a favorite movie from when you were younger. Some things just hold up and starting over feels just as good as the first time.

What my journal has been used for in this “Version 2.0” has been primarily for note-taking and creating rough drafts for future articles, videos, and podcast episodes. This feels almost academic in a sense, and it makes me feel like I’m learning new things and at the same time creating valuable content for others. At this time in my life, these are what make me feel accomplished in terms of journaling, but that might change down the road. Maybe I’ll start habit tracking again or resume “diary” entries.

My closing message to you is to consider getting a journal of your own and tailoring it to your own needs. I think as long as you are letting out your mind in some capacity then you’re doing it right. If you’re an artist, draw in it. If you’re an avid reader, take notes. If you want to connect with me personally, send me an e-mail at alan@alanrr.com and tell me how you journal. With your permission, I can share your methodology with other readers and we can all grow together.

Thanks for reading,

Alan

Additional Resources

The Bullet Journal by Ryder Carroll was the one that really ignited the journaling craze of recent times, which in turn inspired me. Full of visuals and actionable steps, it’s a great antidote to the anxiety of a blank page.
There’s also an official YouTube channel for the bullet journal where the creator of the method (Ryder Carroll) goes over different strategies and uses for the journal in case you prefer real-time explanations.
The journal that I use is pretty similar to this one, but it really doesn’t matter which one you use (although I do think dotted pages are more effective for visuals)

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